Creek Chub Lakes in Michigan

Found in 45 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Creek Chub are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 45 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Creek Chub is narrowly distributed — only 45 lakes in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the grade on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Creek Chub lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Creek Chub documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Creek Chub Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented creek chub, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Creek Chub Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Big Star Lake Central Basin; Lake Township	Lake	A	8 ft	-
2	Kimball Lake Central Basin; Garfield Township	Newaygo	A	4.5 ft	-
3	Gun Lake Central Basin; Freesoil Township	Mason	A	14 ft	-
4	Duck Lake North Basin; Watersmeet Township	Gogebic	A	9.5 ft	-
5	Higgins Lake East Basin	Roscommon	A	35 ft	-
6	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
7	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
8	Upper Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	A	11 ft	-
9	Lower Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	A	12.3 ft	-
10	Long Lake	Gogebic	A	12 ft	-
11	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	D	5 ft	-
12	Kimball Lake	Newaygo	NR	4.5 ft	-
13	Sanford Lake	Benzie	NR	15.8 ft	-
14	Long Lake	Cass	NR	10.5 ft	-
15	Lake Ann	Benzie	NR	13.8 ft	-
16	Duck Lake	Muskegon	NR	10.5 ft	-
17	Rose Lake	Osceola	NR	10.8 ft	-
18	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	NR	5.5 ft	-
19	Duck Lake	Gogebic	NR	9.5 ft	-
20	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	NR	15 ft	-
21	Eagle Lake	Allegan	NR	14 ft	-
22	Long Lake	Gogebic	NR	11.5 ft	-
23	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	NR	16 ft	-
24	Long Lake	Benzie	NR	11.5 ft	-
25	Avery Lake	Montmorency	NR	27 ft	-
26	Brown Lake	Jackson	NR	8 ft	-
27	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	NR	24 ft	-
28	Devils Lake	Lenawee	NR	10.8 ft	-
29	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	NR	15.5 ft	-
30	Deer Lake	Charlevoix	NR	11.5 ft	-
31	Baldwin Lake Northwest Basin	Cass	NR	8 ft	-
32	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	NR	12.3 ft	-
33	Mullett Lake	Cheboygan	NR	13 ft	-
34	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	NR	13.8 ft	-
35	Long Lake	Cheboygan	NR	18 ft	-
36	Elk Lake	Antrim	NR	14.5 ft	-
37	Baldwins Lake	Cass	NR	8 ft	-
38	Sanford Lake	Benzie	NR	14.5 ft	-
39	Douglas Lake	Cheboygan	NR	12 ft	-
40	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	NR	11 ft	-
41	Douglas Lake	Otsego	NR	16.5 ft	-
42	Bass Lake Central Basin; Forsyth Township	Marquette	NR	11.8 ft	-
43	Bass Lake Northeast Basin	Kalkaska	NR	18.5 ft	-
44	Duck Lake	Muskegon	NR	8.5 ft	-
45	Elk Lake	Antrim	NR	-	-

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have creek chub?

Creek Chub are found in 45 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is A (Excellent).

What are the best creek chub lakes in Michigan?

The best creek chub lakes in Michigan by water quality are Big Star Lake Central Basin; Lake Township, Kimball Lake Central Basin; Garfield Township, Gun Lake Central Basin; Freesoil Township, Duck Lake North Basin; Watersmeet Township, Higgins Lake East Basin.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.